It was the name that got my attention. I've seen crab shacks, shrimp shacks, hamburger shacks, even barbecue shacks. But a spaghetti shack? I pictured trying to balance paper plates of spaghetti on my lap at the beach -- shacks are always at the beach -- and the concept sounded disastrous.

But Emmy's Spaghetti Shack is not at the beach, it's not really a shack and it doesn't serve spaghetti on paper plates.

Emmy's occupies a little space in a muraled building just off Mission Street on the border of Bernal Heights. Corrugated metal attaches to the ceiling and cheery white curtains hang over the barred windows. Lumpy black booths that look like they came out of an old diner line the walls, while a single long kitchen table works for larger parties or as a communal table.

The textured walls are painted pale pink and hung with unframed paintings done in a Diego Rivera style. Frilly aprons hang from a clothes line strung over the bar.

All in all, it's a comfortable little place that fits into the neighborhood.

For the food, owners Jay Foster and Emily Kaplan turned to S. Kirnon, a British transplant who used to work at Armani restaurant in London. She creates delicious fare that's more ambitious than the restaurant name or decor implies.

There is one caveat, however: This is the slowest kitchen in the West. On each visit, the waits for food were maddening. Nothing came out in less than 30 minutes, and on the last visit, we waited more than 45 minutes for appetizers and another 30 for entrees.

Perhaps the kitchen is too small for the menu, as our waitress implied on that last visit, or maybe the kitchen staff can't get the timing down.

On the up side, just about everything on the menu is terrific, and it's all under $10. A ramekin of chicken liver pate ($7.50) is smooth and luxurious, and generous enough for two or three people to share as an appetizer.

I'm not sure I would try to make a bread-tomato salad in May when it's still too early for the best tomatoes, but Kirnon does an admirable job. A combination of cherry tomatoes and fillets of ripe red tomatoes are mixed with fresh mozzarella, basil leaves and croutons in a balanced vinaigrette enlivened with plenty of black pepper ($6.50).

Little Parmesan crisps top thin spears of grilled asparagus drizzled with balsamic vinegar ($6.50) for a wonderful spring appetizer. We also enjoyed the assertive Caesar salad ($5), though too many dark green romaine leaves comprised the mix. Still, the dressing is pleasantly pungent, with plenty of garlic.

For entrees, the restaurant's namesake of spaghetti ($5, $7 with meatballs) isn't the highlight. It's not that it isn't good, but it's the least exciting dish on the menu. But the parsley-flecked marinara sauce hits all the right notes, and the meatballs are tender and well seasoned.

But I'd go back for the roast chicken ($9). The leg-thigh piece features a crispy skin, but the meat underneath stays juicy and tender. The meat sits in lemony pan juices studded with fresh peas and fava beans that, unfortunately, were not removed from their bitter skins.

Daily changing specials offer some of the best combinations. A hefty double pork chop ($10) sits in a pool of balsamic reduction, topped with chopped fresh basil and mustard seed. The accompanying mashed sweet potatoes were gluey, but had good flavor, punched up with a hit of nutmeg.

Another night we tucked into a plate of pappardelle ($9) tossed with sauteed leeks and a rich mascarpone sauce. The linguine with squid ink and marinated calamari ($8.50) was less successful, needing a drizzle of olive oil or broth to moisten the mix.

Desserts ($5) were universally disappointing. A cherry pie had an odd spiced taste and came with a soggy crust. The strawberry crisp came with too much topping that was so doughy, we wondered if the kitchen forgot to bake it. A brownie topped with icy Mexican chocolate ice cream suffered from being too dry, though the shot of Port our waitress poured over it helped considerably.

Servers are friendly and well meaning, although they fail to address the long waits for food. We watched other tables keep looking toward the kitchen, then glancing at their watches, a fairly obvious sign that it was taking too long. But that didn't seem to get the attention of the waitresses.

Still, I like the food and the atmosphere so much I'd go back. I'd just make sure I wasn't in a hurry.

OVERALL: TWO STARS
Food: TWO AND A HALF STARS
Service: ONE STAR
Atmosphere: TWO STARS
.
PRICES: $
NOISE RATING: FOUR BELLS
PLUSES: Delicious food including potted chicken pate, roast chicken with
fava beans, grilled pork chop topped with basil and mustard.
MINUSES: Long waits for food. Desserts need attention.
---------------------------------------------------
RATINGS KEY
FOUR STARS: Extraordinary
THREE STARS: Excellent
TWO STARS: Good
ONE STAR: Fair
(box): Poor
.
$ Inexpensive: entrees under $10
$$ Moderate: $10-$17
$$$ Expensive: $18-$24
$$$$ Very Expensive: more than $25
Prices based on main courses. When entrees fall between these categories,
the prices of appetizers help determine the dollar ratings.
. ONE BELL: Pleasantly quiet (under 65 decibels)
TWO BELLS: Can talk easily (65-70)
THREE BELLS: Talking normally gets difficult (70-75)
FOUR BELLS: Can only talk in raised voices (75-80)
BOMB: Too noisy for normal conversation (80+)
.
Chronicle critics make every attempt to remain anonymous.
All meals are paid for by the Chronicle.
Star ratings are based on a minimum of three visits.
Ratings are updated continually based on a least one revisit.

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